Clutch or brake mechanism



No. 6I3,628. Patented Nov. I, I898. J. HADFIELD.

CLUTCH 0R BRAKE MECHAN|$M. I (Application filed mu. 24, 1898.)

(No Model. 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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Patented Nov. I, I898. J. HADFIELD. CLUTCH 0B BRAKE MECHANISM.

(Application filed Mar. 24, 1898.;

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ilNTTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH HADFIELD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AUGUST M. FAY AND LOGAN R. FAY, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

CLUTCH OR BRAKE MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 613,628, dated November 1, less.

Application filed March 24, 1 89 8- T0 00% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEPH HADFIELD, a citizen of the United. States, residing at New York, (Brooklyn,) in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Olutch or Brake Mechanism, of which the following is'a specification.

The chief object of this invention is to provide a new and improved brake mechanism particularly designed'for elevator cages or cars, but which is useful for other purposes. This object is accomplished in the manner and by the means hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is an inverted sectional plan View, the plane of section being on the line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation, the plane of section being on the line a; m, Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views, respectively, of the valve-chamber and the cylinder. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatical sectional view showing the valve in position for exhausting through one port of the cylinder, and Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the valve in position for exhausting through another port of the cylinder.

A car or elevator-cage 1 is shown adapted to run along guides or rails 2. The brakejaws 3 are constructed to engage the rails, and wedges 4, when entering between or spreading the tail ends 5 of the jaws apart, turn the jaws on their pivots 6, so that the jaws grip the rails 2 for braking or stopping the car. The two pistons 7 and cylinder 8 are provided for actuating the wedges 4,. which are connected to or carried by the piston-rods 9. An expansion-spring 10, arranged between the pistons, aids in moving them apart at certain times to apply the brakes. The port 11, formed transversely at about the center of the cylinder, communicates with the space between the two spring-separated pistons, and a longitudinal induction and eduction port 12 communicates with the opposite ends of the cylinder-that is to say, the ends of the induction and eduction port 12 are at the sides of pistons opposite the sides at which port 11 opens into the cylinder. If air is exhausted through port 11 While air is allowed to enter the cylinder through port 12,

Serial No. 675,025. (No model.)

the pistons are forced toward each other to release the brake-jaws. Allowing air to en'- ter the cylinder by port 11 while exhausting at port 12, in connection with the action of spring 10, forces the pistons 7 away from each other and efficiently and rapidly applies the brake-jaws.

The ports 1112 are shown communicating with a valve-chamber 13, in which is a valve or reversing mechanism 14. An exhaust l5 communicates with chamber 13. Shifting the valve to one position causes exhaust at 11,

' while another shift causes exhaust at 12.

The valve 14 can be actuated automatically by a governor composed, as here shown, of a fan 17, having an arm fulcrumed at 18, and provided with an extension 19 past its pivot, carrying a weight 20. v In case the cage 1 drops or moves too rapidly the air-pressure acting on fan 17 raises the latter with stem 16 more or less, so as to shift valve 14 and cause more or less exhaust at 12, so that the brakes are put on the required degree. The weight 20 can be adjusted so that the fan 17 will respond to a greater or less degree of velocity of the car. The fan 17 can be made of aluminium or any other suitable material.

The brake mechanism is shown applied to an elevator; but it can be otherwise used. When properly adjusted, the fan-governor 17, as the car travels at the desired speed, holds or moves the valve to such position that the exhaust connection 15 communicates with the central or intermediate exhaust 11 to hold pistons 7 out of action. The stem 16 may be extended into the car, as at 16, or provided with a handle within reach of the car conductor or occupant, whereby the brakes can be worked automatically or at will, or both.

While the elevator is in service the exhaust through- 15 is constant, and the reversing mechanism causes the vacuum to act at opposite points, as described.

The elevator-cage 1 being actuated by mechanism as set forth in my application, Serial No. 668,418, filed January 29, 1898, elevators,

against cylinder 8, Fig. 4, so that the two meeting faces 21 of these parts are in contact, in which position they are secured by fastenings or screws passed into the holes or tapped apertures. The ports 11 and 12 of the chamber 13 communicate with or form a continuation of the transverse and longitudinal ports 11 and 12 of the cylinder.

When the valve 14 is in the position shown in Fig. 5 or Fig. 2, the exhaust through 15 will cause an exhaust through port 11,whereby the pistons 7 are drawn together to move wedges 4 clear from the tail ends 5 of the brake-jaws. While exhaust occurs through port 11, Fig. 5, air entering the valve-chamber at its top or opening 25 and passing through the aperture 26 in valve 14 to port 12 can act against the outer faces of pistons 7. If the valve is shifted to the position shown in Fig. 6, the exhaust 15 will exhaust through port 12, and air can now enter through port 11 from the chamberopening 23 and valve-aperture 24. The ex haust through port 12 will cause the pistons 7 to be spread apart to apply the brakes.

The play of pistons 7 need not be great to effect a putting on and withdrawal of wedges 4, and the spring 10 could be omitted, but has been found useful in preventing the pistons 7 coming into contact with one another. This spring 10 is weak or under such light tension that on exhausting through port 11 the spring will not prevent the pistons 7 being moved together as required for moving the wedges 4 to release the tail ends 5 of the brake-jaws.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'

1. A clutch or brake mechanism comprising a rail, jaws made to engage the rail, a wedge made to enter between the jaws for causing the latter to grasp opposite faces of the rail, a piston and cylinder, and a rod secured directly to and connecting the piston and wedge, substantially as described.

2. A clutch or brake mechanism comprising rails, jaws made to engage the rails,wedges for actuating the jaws, a cylinder, and s pringseparated pistons for actuating the wedges, substantially as described.

3. A clutch mechanism, a cylinder, pistons for actuating the clutch mechanism,-an induction and eduction port made to communicate with the cylinder intermediate the pistons, and induction and eduction port made to communicate with the cylinder outside the pistons, substantially as described.

4. A clutch mechanism, a cylinder, pistons for actuating the clutch mechanism, a spring for separating the pistons, an induction and eduction port made to communicate with the cylinder intermediate the pistons, and an induction and eduction port made to communicate with the cylinder outside the pistons to cooperate with the spring, substantially as described.

5. The combination with brake-jaws, of

two pistons, means for throwing the brake jaws into action when the pistons are forced away from each other, a cylinder containing the pistons and having a longitudinal port communicating with the ends thereof and a central port communicating with the cylinderspace between the pistons, said ports serving alternately as induction and eduction ports, the exhaust through the central port causing the pistons to move toward each other and the exhaust through the longitudinal port causing the pistons to move apart, and a valve for controlling the flow of the fluid in the ports to and from the cylinder, substantially as described.

6. The combination with brake-jaws, of two pistons, means for throwing the brakejaws into action when the pistons are forced away from each other, a cylinder containing the pistons and having a longitudinal port communicating with the ends thereof and a central port communicating with the cylin derspace between the pistons, said ports serving alternately as induction and ed uction ports, the exhaust through the central port causing the pistons to move toward each other and the exhaust through the longitudinal port causing the pistons to move apart, a longitudinally-sliding valve for controlling the flow of fluid through the ports to and through the cylinder, a fan having a pivoted counterbalanced arm, and a connection between said arm and the valve for sliding the latter longitudinally, substantially as described.

7. The combination with brake-jaws, of two pistons, means for throwing the brakejaws into action when the pistons are forced away from each other, a cylinder containing the pistons and having a longitudinal port communicating with the. ends thereof and a central port communicating with the cylinderspace between the pistons, said ports serving alternately as induction and eduction ports, the exhaust through the central port causing the pistons to move toward each other and the exhaust through the longitudinal port causing the pistons to move apart, and means for causing the fluid to enter the ends of the cylinder through the longitudinal port and to exhaust through the central port, or to enter the center of the cylinder between the pistons through said central port and to exhaust through the longitudinal port, whereby the two pistons are forced either toward each other or away from each other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J OSEPII IIADFIELD.

\Vitnesses:

AUGUST M. FAY, E. F. KASTENHUBER.

IIS 

